1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of cutting a label tape into a number of labels at cut marks made on the label tape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The above mentioned label tape is very long. In general, it is wound in the form of a roll. The long label tape is formed, for example, by connecting many woven label tape elements one after another. On each label tape element, many cut marks are made beforehand at intervals corresponding to a prescribed label length. An indication area and adjacent margin regions are provided between cutting marks for adjacent labels. A brand name and quality are indicated at arbitrary places within the indication area.
The operation to cut the long label tape and produce a large number of labels is done as follows. A prescribed advance route of the labels is determined and a sensor to detect the cut marks and a cutter to cut the label tape are arranged along the route. In a first process, the front end portion of the above mentioned long label tape is fed a certain distance along the route and a confirmation of the cut mark is carried out by confirming a detecting signal by said sensor. If the cut mark is confirmed, the label tape is further fed by the distance between the cutter and the sensor in a second step. Further in a third step the label tape is cut by the cutter. These first through third steps are repeated one after another. The prior art of this type is well known, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,472.
According to the above mentioned prior art, the label tape can be accurately cut at cut marks one after another and a large number of regular labels can be produced if the spacing of the cut marks is constant.
If a number of label tape elements are improperly connected in producing the long label tape or if the label tape element is miswoven, the spacing between adjacent cut marks may be shorter or longer at some part of the tape. In the operation including the above mentioned first through third steps when that portion of the label tape which does not have the front side margin of the cut mark and, therefore, is formed at a shorter spacing due to the above mentioned irregularity of the spacing arrives at the position of the sensor, the cut mark will have passed the sensor in the above mentioned first step to feed the label tape a certain distance. Accordingly, the sensor will find a cut mark at the indication area behind the above mentioned cut mark. If any indication is present in the indication area and the indication is one such as "E" or "L", similar to the cut mark, this indication is confirmed by mistake as the cut mark according to the prior art. Thus the second and the third steps are carried out on the basis of the indication detected by mistake and the label tape will be cut at a wrong position. Thereafter, in the repetition of the first through third steps, the label tape is cut at wrong positions in succession and presents a problem of producing a large number of inferior labels. This leads especially to a serious problem that when the labels produced by cutting the label tape are automatically sewn one after another, for example, on clothes in a succeeding operation, the clothes are inferior due to the inferior labels sewn on them.